Deviant Dealings
by map2
Summary: Martin Vail is shocked to figure out the man he just defended is not insane. In order to right his wrong, Martin goes in search of another case to put Aaron behind bars. Putting Aaron on trial again, is going to be no easy task. It will take take percision and a bit of luck in order to get the outcome Martin needs to put Aaron where he deserves to be.


Martin exited the courtroom with his head spinning. He had been hoodwinked. Reporters stormed him.

"Mr. Vail could we have an interview please?"

"What are your feelings on the trial's end?"

Martin just kept pushing forward. His legs felt like lead. After what felt like an eternity, Martin finally reached his car. As he drove off, Martin's head was buzzing. He had just helped a murder avoid jail on insanity. When in fact, he was not insane. Aaron had been acting like he had multiple personality disorder this whole time. That wasn't the worst part either. Both Vail and Dr. Molly Arrington, the psychiatrist, had believed his lies because he had played it so convincingly. Aaron was a convincing, manipulative liar who played martyr like a fiddle.

"What am I going to do to nail this liar?" Martin mumbled to himself as he hit the steering wheel with the palm of his hand. Martin knew he could not retry Aaron for the murder of the priest due to double jeopardy. He had to find another crime Aaron had committed in order to prove he was not insane in front of the jury and to put him behind bars. That, of course, is where he deserved to be. A man like Aaron did not deserve to get away with his crimes. Martin then remembered the conversation he had with Aaron as he left. He had admitted to murdering the bishop. That wasn't the only person he had admitted to murdering though. The girl in the tapes with him was also one of his victims. Martin then made a turn and started heading towards his office. The girl, Linda, was the key to putting Aaron behind bars. Martin then whipped out his phone and dialed Tommy.

"Hello?" answered Tommy.

"Hey, you were right. I was wrong." Martin said with a considerable amount of strain.

"Wait, are you admitting to me that I was correct about something?" Tommy asked with a smirk in his voice.

"You were correct about everything involving the case. We both know Aaron murdered the priest, but we thought it was on account of insanity. He just admitted to me he is not insane."

There was a dead pause on the other line as Tommy took in all the information. "So, you just helped a murderer get away with it on an insanity charge? How are you feeling about that?"

"I'm not mad about winning the case because that's my job, but I'm mad I've been made to feel like an idiot. Has it gotten to the point in my career where I can't differentiate between a liar and an honest person? I mean that's supposed to be my job. I'm supposed to be able to tell." Frustration was evident in Martin's voice as spoke.

Tommy paused. "You're good at your job. Sometimes people mess up and this was one of those big mess ups. It's not your fault you were played."

"I know it's not my fault, but I cannot live with the fact that I helped a cold blooded killer get away with it. I know I have dealt with the mafia before, but this is different. This time the murder was for pleasure and no monetary gain. He not only murdered the priest; he murdered the girl he had sex with in those tapes. I need to find this girl's body."

"Let me guess, I'm going to be your partner in finding this body that could be anywhere in or around Chicago?" huffed Tommy.

"Yes. We start the search immediately. Meet me at my office. We will take off from there."

Martin hung up and kept driving. When he arrived at his office, Martin saw Tommy standing, glaring, and ready to go. Tommy jumped in Martin's car.

"Where do we start?" Questioned Tommy with mild interest.

"I say we start at the church and look for evidence there."

Martin and Tommy arrived at the church. They knew the priest had been murdered there. Was it possible he had killed Linda in these very walls too? The probability was not likely. What was likely was Aaron left clues to both murders in the same place. They started in the library because that was where evidence had been found for the other murder. What books could Aaron have written in to try and make a comparison to Linda? Martin's eyes flew as he scanned the shelves for that one novel which would make sense to the psychopath. His eyes finally landed on _The Scarlet Letter._ _That's a possibility_ Martin thought in his head. As he opened the book, scrawling was evident throughout. Hatred quotes about Linda's infidelity according to Aaron and his plans for murder engulfed page after page. Aaron's anger grew more evident as the book progressed and ignited higher and higher with every act the priest coached. The threesome in Aaron's mind was Linda cheating on him. This had made him angry to the point that the only way to solve his problem was to murder her. How this was not seen when looking for evidence about the priest was beyond Martin or Tommy's comprehension. There, before them, was the whole finalized plan for the murder.

His plan was to murder by strangulation and dispose of the body in the Chicago River. He had murdered Linda there was no question about it. The questions were when had he done the deed and where was the body?

"We need to contact the police. There is no way we can find a human corpse in a body of water that large." Tommy voiced in an even tone.

"I realize this is out of our jurisdiction. I just am in shock that it was that easy to find all that information. He was strategic with the second murder. This one was sloppy and not as well thought out. Aaron probably thought that since this girl was a nobody that no one would ever come looking for. We were who he wasn't expecting." Martin uttered as he smirked.

Martin called the police.

"Hello, this is Martin Vail and I have evidence of another murder."

"Who and what evidence?" the monotone detective ventured.

"Her name is Linda. I have no last name. The evidence is with me. It's a book with the motive and plan."

"Do you have any idea of the location of the body?"

"Surprisingly, yes. It says that the body is in the Chicago River." Martin said quickly.

"I will check Mr. Vail to see if a body has been discovered there in the correct time frame."

Thirty minutes later the police showed up at the church.

"Thank you, Mr. Vail. It will probably take a while to come up with suspects, but I imagine you already had one in mind." The detective stated with a hint of curiosity.

"Yes, in fact, I do. I know the murderer is Aaron Stampler."

"Wow Mr. Vail, you seem pretty confident in that answer. Why is that?"

"After the trial, Aaron admitted to me that he had murdered her."

"Ok, if the body is found then there will be another case. Whose attorney are you going to be, ?"

"I will help Illinois prosecute him this time. I don't lose. Just get me my evidence and access to Stampler. That should provide all I need to put this guy put away."

At that moment, the detective's radio went off.

"We can confirm the body sir. When it was found, it was not in good shape. The human corpse looked like it has been decomposing for about a month. Her torso was virtually gone from fish feeding on it but, we could still by some miracle see marks on her neck."

"Thank you, officer."

The detective then turned to Martin.

"It looks like you're back in business Mr. Vail," he said with a head shake.

The next week passed as a blur to Martin as he prepared the case. He had to prove that Aaron was insane. The only way to get him to do that was to break character. Martin needed to get him to a point where he broke and never went back to sweet Aaron. He then needed to admit to all of it. Martin needed to find what triggered Aaron the most and put it to use against him. In order to do that, Martin needed to see Aaron. Seeing him would provide the gateway he needed into Aaron's thoughts and actions. Martin set up a time and made his way to observe and speak to Aaron.

Martin arrived at the mental institution and after being granted clearance made his way to observe Aaron Stampler. The graphologist was there making Aaron write every letter of the alphabet. This was to ensure that his handwriting was found in the book. Martin peered in through one sided glass observing Aaron's actions.

"Why am I being made to do this?" Aaron questioned with confusion and a little bit of concern.

"That is for me to know, not you," stated the graphologist flatly.

"I demand to know why I am being made to do this or else it's not going to be a lovely visit for you," snarled Aaron like a wild animal.

"I cannot release that information to you at this time. It is against the rules for me. My job could be lost at the expense of it."

"I don't care about your well-being! I need to know the reasoning behind this." At that moment, Aaron lunged across the table and grabbed the graphologist's throat with his slender fingers. The look in his eyes was that of pure insanity and rage.

A guard rapidly rushed in to release Aaron's grip from the graphologist's neck as he was starting to turn from a shade of white to a light blue. The guard seized Aaron's small frame and pulled him off the victim. Sputtering and wheezing, the graphologist grabbed the papers and rushed for the door. He had what he needed and he was not going to be waiting around.

Once Aaron had calmed down and the guard left, Martin made his entrance.

"Hello, Aaron," Martin sung as he entered the room.

"I am not Aaron right now. You are speaking to Roy," Aaron sharply spoke.

"Well, Roy," Martin said with a sarcastic tone. "You are in deep shit again."

"I am not in any shit, Mr. Vail. I am right where I want to be and you should know that because you got me here."

"I don't think your understanding, Roy. There's another case that could land you behind bars instead of here."

"What the hell do you mean? There is no evidence against me!"

"I think you mean to say there was no evidence against you. You see Mr. Stampler, after your little charade I decided I couldn't live with the fact you were walking free and got your way. That's when I remembered that you not only admitted to me you murdered not only the priest, but your girlfriend as well."

Fear and realization filled Aaron's eyes. He had given himself away. Another emotion started bubbling up inside him as well. An emotion he knew all too well, hatred.

"You see Aaron, the trial is just a couple weeks away and I am not defending you this time. You are going to be rotting in hell all by yourself with no one to defend your lying, faking ass." Martin said all of this without flinching and staring straight back at Aaron.

"You bastard!" screamed Aaron as he lunged at Martin. He made contact with his throat and grabbed. Staring into Martin's eyes with his fingers curled around his neck, he whispered. "Mr. Vail, we are going to hell together. I will not let you win. I am the best there ever was and ever will be at getting away with murder. I will put on a show so riveting they won't even question my innocence."

Martin then was released from the grip of death. Shaking and trembling, he made his way toward the door. At that moment, he never wanted to kill someone more. Martin knew he could make Aaron tick but it was just the question of when the right time was. He needed to plan his attack. Martin knew revenge was a sweet, but for him justice was sweeter. He had three days and that was all he needed.

Martin stepped out of his car and headed toward the courthouse. For what felt like the thousandth time, reporters swarmed him spewing questions and looking for answers. Martin just kept walking. He had more important tasks today then talking to a reporter. When Martin entered the room, the silence engulfed him. People were apprehensive about this case and were still bitter about Aaron not convicted of murdering the priest.

Martin took his place on the state's side. Across the way, there sat Aaron with that deadly look in his eye glaring back at Martin. Next to him, sat his attorney assigned to him by the state. Aaron no longer had the advantage of a good attorney on his side. He had to run the show by himself. Aaron needed to put on a great show in order to convince the jury for a second time.

The jury was assembled. Martin could only imagine the struggle the state probably had finding someone who didn't know of the priest's murder. Luckily for him, the law was on his side. Since none of these people had heard about the case, they would not be so easily swayed by Aaron's display.

At that moment, the judge took her place at the podium.

"Your Honor, today's case is Stampler v. Illinois," announced the bailiff.

"Mr. Vail, are you ready to begin the trial?" questioned the judge.

"Yes, Your Honor," responded Martin.

"Mr. Clark, are you ready to begin the trial?" the judge addressed to Aaron's attorney.

"Yes, Your Honor," Mr. Clark said with a nod.

The jury was sworn in and the court was asked to be seated. The trial then was commenced.

The judge asked Martin to present his evidence. Martin asked for Aaron to step onto the stand for questioning.

"Mr. Stampler, do you recognize this book?" Martin questioned as he held up a copy of _The Scarlet Letter._

"No sir, I do not," stated Aaron with that evil gleam in his eye.

"I find that hard to believe Mr. Stampler since a copy containing your exact handwriting was found in the church library. We had Mr. Stampler write his letters at the mental hospital and the writing was confirmed to be his by a graphologist."

At this point, Aaron started to glare at Mr. Vail.

"In this book with your handwriting in it Mr. Stampler, there were plans for the murder of your lover Linda. Do you remember writing those notes?"

"No sir, I don't. You see Mr. Vail, I have multiple personality disorder and when I change into Roy I cannot remember the tasks I complete." Aaron stated this without loosing eye contact with Martin.

"I see. Did you know Mr. Stampler that multiple personality disorder has never been proven as a real disorder because it only shows up in western cultures. It is in fact…."

At that moment, Aaron looked at Martin and started screaming.

"I'm not real Mr. Vail! I think you're wrong!" Aaron had decided it was time for him to act and he brought around Roy.

"Oh hello Roy." Martin said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Hello, traitor. I thought you said we were in this together."

"You see Roy we were until you proved to me that in fact you were not real and you are just Aaron."

"You know I am not Aaron. I am just trapped in Aaron's stupid body."

"Sure you are. Can I speak to Aaron again?"

"No!"

"We can get this case done sooner if you allow me to speak to Aaron."

"Fine!"

Just like that, Aaron stopped acting and went back to his real self.

"Aaron, what was your relationship like with Linda?" Martin questioned though he already knew the answer.

"It was great I loved Linda."

"I don't believe you Aaron. You see I know you were jealous that Linda was made to have a threesome with you and the other alter boy."

"Yes, that made me upset. Linda was mine but she was being unfaithful to me."

"Was it Linda's fault that she was unfaithful?" Martin asked hoping that Aaron wouldn't break character.

"Yes, it was." Aaron said without changing to Roy.

"Did that make you angry?"

"So angry, I wanted to kill her and I did. It made me feel better. I knew I could kill again and feel just as good. It wasn't me that was the problem in the world it was all the other people. If I kept killing, I would eventually be rid of all my problems. People turned me into the person I am today and I was going to insure no one else messed up the rest of my life." Aaron said all of this without turning into Roy. He was so wrapped up thinking how Linda made him feel that he had forgotten to switch.

"That will be all Your Honor." Martin stated with a nod and feeling of success.

Aaron had a look of shock on his face as Martin walked away. He then changed into Roy.

"No, it wasn't Aaron that murdered her it was me." He tried with conviction to do the part with no prevail. He had failed the act and he knew it.

Mr. Clark tried to fix what had just happened but nothing was going to work after Aaron had virtually admitted to everything. When the jury went to make the decision, it only took them fifteen minutes. The vote was unanimous Aaron had killed Linda and was charged with first degree murder.

Martin left the court room feeling accomplished. He had just put the guy in jail that hoodwinked him and murdered two people. Aaron's act was good but there was no way that he could have kept it up forever. Aaron Stampler was where he deserved to be.

Martin exited the courthouse and this time stopped to talk to the reporters. Unlike last time, he felt he had done good in the world and the world deserved to know it.


End file.
